Automatic firearm with a changeover cartridge feed device

ABSTRACT

An automatic firearm, such as a rifle, is provided with a changeover cartridge feed device for firing selectively different types of cartridges, such as blasting cartridges and armorpiercing cartridges. The breech block is provided with cartridge feed channels, one for each type of cartridge used, and with respective cartridge strippers. The strippers are controlled by a control device the operating member of which consists of a longitudinally reciprocable slidable munition selector slide which when in a forwardly adjusted end position renders the feed device for one type of cartridge operative, while when the munition selector slide has been adjusted to a rear end position it renders the feed device for another type of cartridge operative.

United States Patent AUTOMATIC FIREARM WITH A CI'IANGEOVER CARTRIDGEFEED DEVICE 2 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

[1.8. CI 89/33SF, 89/33 CA Int. Cl F41d 9/02 Field of Search... 89/33,33 SF, 33.14, 33.2

[5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,452,640 7/1969 Maillard89/33 SF FOREIGN PATENTS 954,476 6/1949 France 89/33 SF 6.617,800 6/1967Netherlands 89/332 Primary Examiner-Benjamin A. Borchelt AssistantExaminerStephen C. Bentley AttarneySinger, Stern & Carlberg ABSTRACT: Anautomatic firearm, such as a rifle, is provided with a changeovercartridge feed device for firing selectively different types ofcartridges, such as blasting cartridges and armor-piercing cartridges.The breech block is provided with cartridge feed channels, one for eachtype of cartridge used, and with respective cartridge strippers. Thestrippers are controlled by a control device the operating member ofwhich consists of a longitudinally reciprocable slidable munitionselector slide which when in a forwardly adjusted end position rendersthe feed device for one type of cartridge operative, while when themunition selector slide has been adjusted to a rear end position itrenders the feed device for another type of cartridge operative.

AUTOMATIC FIREARM WITH A CHANGEOVER CARTRIDGE FEED DEVICE The inventionrelates to an automatic firearm with a changeover cartridge-feed devicefor accommodating different types of projectiles.

In particular, the invention relates to an automatic firearm with aforward and rearward moving breech block and a changeovercartridge-feeding device which accommodates at least two different typesof cartridges, for instance, blasting cartridges and armor-piercingcartridges.

It is an object of the invention to provide the head of the breech blockwith insertable and with drawable cartridge strippers which enter thecartridge-feed channels from the exterior and are brought into operationby transversely arranged control means arranged along the path ofmovement of the breech block said control means for the cartridgestrippers comprising a control slide, the operating member of whichconsists of a longitudinally slidable munition selector slide.

A particular object of the invention is to provide the munition selectorslide with a guide slot arranged inclined to the longitudinal path ofmovement of the slide, whereby a shift bolt of a control slide projectsinto this guide slot.

It is also an object of the invention to provide the weapon with twocartridge-feed belts arranged in different planes and in such mannerthat in both feed belts, the cartridges are fed in the same sense ofmovement.

In accordance with another object of the invention, the cartridge feedbelts are arranged one above the other.

When the firearm is equipped with a cartridge-feed device which operatesindependently of the gas which is taken from the barrel of the firearm,the present invention has as a still further object to provide controlvalves or control cocks for the gas delivered to the cartridge feed,whereby these control valves or cocks are adjusted or operated by themanually operated munition selector slide. For this purpose, therespective control valves or clocks may be provided with gear segmentswhich are operated by suitable toothed racks provided on the munitionselector slide.

Still another object of the invention is to provide the drive pistons ofthe drive device for the munition feed and which are subject to theaction of a return spring with a shift bolt arranged in the housing ofthe feed device and movably guided therein in the longitudinal directionof the weapon. This shift bolt extends through a shift slot of arotatably mounted changeover sleeve which by means of gear teethadvances the pawl slide of the feed device.

With these and other objects appearing hereinafter in view, theinvention will now be described in greater detail with reference to theaccompanying drawings which illustrate one particular embodiment of theinvention. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 illustrates a vertical longitudinal section of a portion of thefirearm of the invention, v

FIG. 2 illustrates a cross-sectional view along the line 11-" of FIG. Iand FIG. 3 is a view of the weapon looking in the direction of themunition feed (in the direction of the arrow A in FIG. 2) so that themunition selector slide is visible.

Referring to the drawings, the housing of the weapon has insertedtherein the barrel 11 and has arranged therein movable to and fro abreech block 12 which is acted upon by a closure spring 13. The breechblock 12 is provided with two pivotally mounted cartridge strippers l4,15 disposed one above the other and which are subjected to the action ofsprings 16 which engage the strippers so as to move the same into theirstripping position.

Below and above the path of movement of the breech block, the housing 10of the weapon is provided each with a cartridge feeding device 17 and 18which in the illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises abelt-feeding device in which the cartridge belts are fed from the leftand in which the empty belts leave toward the right. The empty shellswill be ejected toward the right between the cartridge belts l7 and 18.The feed housings 17a and 18a are provided with feed slides 17c andcarrying feed pawls 17b and 18b and also belt-holding latches 17d and1811. In the lower cartridge feed device 17 are introduced, forinstance, the blasting cartridges, while the upper cartridge feed deviceis used for feeding armor-piercing cartridges.

In rear of the cartridge feed devices, the housing of the weapon isprovided with recesses which are used for transversely slidably guidinga control slide 19 which has thereon two control jaws 19a and 1911 whichare connected with each other by a transverse web 19c upon whichisseated a shift bolt 19d.

At the cartridge insertion side of the housing 10 of the weapon isarranged longitudinally slidable along the axis of the weapon a munitionselector slide 20, for instance, by means of guide bolts 10a which arearranged on the housing and engage a guide slot 20a on the munitionselector slide 20 (FIG. 3). The munition selector slide 20 has adjacentits rear end a shift slot 20b which extends inclined to the longitudinalaxis of the slide 20 and into which extends the shift bolt 19d of thecontrol slide 19. The rear end of the munition selector slide 20 hasattached thereto an operating member, such as a spherical knob 200. Atthe forward end, the munition selector slide 20 is provided with twotransversely spaced oppositely and parallel disposed toothed racks 20dand 20e.

The feed slides 17c and 18c are actuated by gas-operated pistons 21, 22which by means of gas passages 23 are supplied with gas taken from thebarrel 11. These pistons 21, 22 are subjected to the action of returnsprings 24 and at their rear ends are provided with buffers 21a and 22a.The gas-operated pistons 21 and 22 are provided with shift bolts 21b and22b which are arranged in the housings 17a and 18a of the cartridge feeddevices 17 and 18 in the longitudinal direction of the weapon andprevent a rotative movement of the pistons. The shift bolts 21b and 22bproject through shift slots 25a and 26a arranged in shift sleeves 25 and26 which are rotatably journaled in the feed housings 17a and 18a. Theshift sleeves 25 and 26 are provided with gear teeth 25b and 26b whichmesh with the respective gear teeth on the feed slides 17c and 18c.

The gas passages 23 have arranged in the same control valves or controlcocks 27 and 28 which are controlled in such a manner that in eachinstance the valve 27 or 28 associated with its respective piston is inopen position which shifts the feed slide 17c or 180 of the desiredcartridge type selected by the munition selector slide 20. Theadjustment of the valves 27, 28 is effected by the munition selectorslide 20, whose rack teeth 20d and 20c mesh with the gear segments 27aand 28a.

The operation of the munition selector and feed device is as follows:

In FIG. 3 the munition selector slide 20 is in its rear position inwhich it is held by a locking device against unintentional slidablemovement. The shift bolt 19d of the control slide 19 is disposed at thelower end of the shift slot 20b. The control jaw 19a is in its outerposition in which the stripper 14 for the cartridges of the feed device17 is not influenced, so that during the advancing movement of thebreech block 12, one eartridge from the feed device 17 is slidably movedinto the barrel. In this condition, the control jaw 19b is in its innerposition in which the stripper 15 is held in its inserted inactiveposition. The valve 27 for the gas supply to the piston 21 is open; thevalve 28 for the gas supply to the piston 22 is closed, therefore onlythe cartridge feed device 17 is operative.

lf cartridges of the upper feed device 18 are to be fired, the munitionselector slide 20 is slidably moved into its forward end position inwhich it is also secured by a locking device against unintentionalmovement.

This has the effect that the shift bolt 19d moves into the upper end ofthe slot 20b of the control slide 19. In this position, the control jaw19 moves the stripper 14 from its active position, so that the controljaw 19b permits the stripper 15 to enter into its stripping position. Atthe same time, the gear drive 20d and 27a closes the valve 27 for thegas supply to the piston 21, while the gear drive 20c, 28a opens thevalve 28 for the gas supply to the piston 22. Therefore, it is obviousthat in the forward position of the munition selector slide 20, onlycartridges supplied by the upper feed device 18 are fired.

What I claim is:

1. in an automatic firearm, a housing having a front end and a rear end,a breech block in said housing movable forwardly and rearwardly therein,two cartridge feed belts movable transversely of said breech block atopposite sides of the path of movement of said breech block, cartridgestrippers mounted in said breech block adjacent the front end thereoffor movement between a transversely projected operative position and atransversely retracted inoperative position, a stripper control slidemounted in said housing rearwardly of said feed belts and movabletransversely of said breech block between two end positions in each ofwhich it actuates one of said strippers to its retracted inoperativeposition while permitting the other stripper to occupy its projectedoperative position thereby causing said other stripper to engage andforce a cartridge forwardly from a selected one of said feed belts atthe forwardly movement of said breech block, a munition selector slidemounted in said housing for movement longitudinally thereof in operativeengagement with said stripper control slide to selectively move saidstripper control slide to one of its said end positions, separate meansfor advancing each of said feed belts step by step, conduit means insaid housing connecting the interior of the firearm barrel with each ofsaid feed belt advancing means, a control valve in each of said conduitmeans for opening and closing the same, means operatively connectingeach of said control valves with said munition selector slide to openone of said control valves at a time in dependence upon the position ofsaid munition selector slide, each of said feed belt advancing meansincluding a shift sleeve mounted in said housing for rotation on an axisextending longitudinally of said housing and having an inclined slot inthe wall thereof, gear means on said shift sleeve extending at leastpartially along the circumference thereof, a gear rack on thecorresponding feed belt in engagement with said gear means, a pistonslidably mounted in said shift sleeve and having one end incommunication with one of said gas conduit means, a compression springin said housing having one end in engagement with said piston andbiasing the same toward said gas conduit means, and a shift bolt securedto said piston transversely thereof and extending through said inclinedslot in said shift sleeve and into a longitudinal slot in the wall ofsaid housing, whereby reciprocation of said piston causes rotation ofsaid shift sleeve and thereby advancement of the feed belt.

2. In an automatic firearm, a housing having a front end and a rear end,a breech block in said housing movable forwardly and rearwardly therein,two cartridge feed belts movable transversely of said breech block atopposite sides of the path of movement of said breech block, cartridgestrippers mounted in said breech block adjacent the front end thereoffor movement between a transversely projected operative position and atransversely retracted inoperative position, stripper control meansmounted in said housing rearwardly of said feed belts, munition selectormeans mounted in said housing for movement in engagement with saidstripper control means to selectively move said stripper control meansbetween two positions in each of which it actuates one of said strippersto said inoperative position and the other stripper to said operativeposition in which it engages a cartridge and moves it forwardly from aselected one of said feed belts at the forwardly movement of said breechblock, separate means for advancing each of said feed belts step bystep, conduit means in said housing connecting the interior of thefirearm barrel with each of said feed belt advancing means, a controlvalve in each of said conduit means for opening and closing the same,means operatively connecting each of said control valves with saidmunition selector means to open one of said control valves at a time independence upon the position of said munition selector means, each ofsaid feed belt advancing means including a shift sleeve mounted in saidhousing for rotation on an axis extending longitudinally of said housingand having an inclined slot in the wall thereof, a gear means on saidshift sleeve extending at least partially along the circumferencethereof, a gear rack on the corresponding feed belt in engagement withsaid gear means, a piston slidably mounted in said shift sleeve andhaving one end in communication with one of said gas conduit means, acompression spring in said housing having one end in engagement withsaid piston and biasing the same toward said gas conduit means, and ashift bolt secured to said piston transversely thereof and extendingthrough said inclined slot in said shift sleeve and into a longitudinalslot in the wall of said housing, whereby reciprocation of said pistoncauses rotation of said shift sleeve and thereby advancement of the feedbelt.

5136 f lOlOOS 0097 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTIONPatent No. 3611869 Dated October 12; 1971 Invento Gerhard Huon It iscertified that error appears in the above-identified patent and thatsaid Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

The name of the assignee appearing in the heading of the front page ofthe printed specification should be corrected to Mauser-Werke A.G.

Signed and sealed this 14th day of July 1972.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARQMJLEICHER, JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attestlng Officer Commissioner ofPatents ORM PO-1U5 10-69 0i USCOMM-DC 6037 5-P69 U S GOVERNMENY PRINTINGOFIICE I968 0-356-33

1. In an automatic firearm, a housing having a front end and a rear end,a breech block in said housing movable forwardly and rearwardly therein,two cartridge feed belts movable transversely of said breech block atopposite sides of the path of movement of said breech block, cartridgestrippers mounted in said breech block adjacent the front end thereoffor movement between a transversely projected operative position and atransversely retracted inoperative position, a stripper control slidemounted in said housing rearwardly of said feed belts and movabletransversely of said breech block between two end positions in each ofwhich it actuates one of said strippers to its retracted inoperativeposition while permitting the other stripper to occupy its projectedoperative position thereby causing said other stripper to engage andforce a cartridge forwardly from a selected one of said feed belts atthe forwardly movement of said breech block, a munition selector slidemounted in said housing for movement longitudinally thereof in operativeengagement with said stripper control slide to selectively move saidstripper control slide to one of its said end positions, separate meansfor advancing each of said feed belts step by step, conduit means insaid housing connecting the interior of the firearm barrel with each ofsaid feed belt advancing means, a control valve in each of said conduitmeans for opening and closing the same, means operatively connectingeach of said control valves with said munition selector slide to openone of said control valves at a time in dependence upon the position ofsaid munition selector slide, each of said feed belt advancing meansincluding a shift sleeve mounted in said housing for rotation on an axisextending longitudinally of said housing and having an inclined slot inthe wall thereof, gear means on said shift sleevE extending at leastpartially along the circumference thereof, a gear rack on thecorresponding feed belt in engagement with said gear means, a pistonslidably mounted in said shift sleeve and having one end incommunication with one of said gas conduit means, a compression springin said housing having one end in engagement with said piston andbiasing the same toward said gas conduit means, and a shift bolt securedto said piston transversely thereof and extending through said inclinedslot in said shift sleeve and into a longitudinal slot in the wall ofsaid housing, whereby reciprocation of said piston causes rotation ofsaid shift sleeve and thereby advancement of the feed belt.
 2. In anautomatic firearm, a housing having a front end and a rear end, a breechblock in said housing movable forwardly and rearwardly therein, twocartridge feed belts movable transversely of said breech block atopposite sides of the path of movement of said breech block, cartridgestrippers mounted in said breech block adjacent the front end thereoffor movement between a transversely projected operative position and atransversely retracted inoperative position, stripper control meansmounted in said housing rearwardly of said feed belts, munition selectormeans mounted in said housing for movement in engagement with saidstripper control means to selectively move said stripper control meansbetween two positions in each of which it actuates one of said strippersto said inoperative position and the other stripper to said operativeposition in which it engages a cartridge and moves it forwardly from aselected one of said feed belts at the forwardly movement of said breechblock, separate means for advancing each of said feed belts step bystep, conduit means in said housing connecting the interior of thefirearm barrel with each of said feed belt advancing means, a controlvalve in each of said conduit means for opening and closing the same,means operatively connecting each of said control valves with saidmunition selector means to open one of said control valves at a time independence upon the position of said munition selector means, each ofsaid feed belt advancing means including a shift sleeve mounted in saidhousing for rotation on an axis extending longitudinally of said housingand having an inclined slot in the wall thereof, a gear means on saidshift sleeve extending at least partially along the circumferencethereof, a gear rack on the corresponding feed belt in engagement withsaid gear means, a piston slidably mounted in said shift sleeve andhaving one end in communication with one of said gas conduit means, acompression spring in said housing having one end in engagement withsaid piston and biasing the same toward said gas conduit means, and ashift bolt secured to said piston transversely thereof and extendingthrough said inclined slot in said shift sleeve and into a longitudinalslot in the wall of said housing, whereby reciprocation of said pistoncauses rotation of said shift sleeve and thereby advancement of the feedbelt.